Which scale of Bansuri should we get to start learning ?

An excellent quality bansuri is essential to start learning. Always we need to buy bansuri from good flute
makers.

For Male Students

The ideal scale depends upon the individual. For most of the men G Sharp scale flute would be convenient. If one has average to long sized fingers he can begin learning with G Sharp and F sharp bansuri. If one has short to average sized fingers he can begin learning with C natural medium and G Sharp Bansuri.

For Female Students

The ideal scale depends upon the individual. For most of the women C Natural medium scale flute would be convenient. If one has medium sized fingers she can begin learning with C Natural medium and G Sharp base bansuri. If one has long fingers she can begin learning with G Sharp bansuri and F sharp bansuri.

Producing The Sound In Bansuri

Try to produce a sound from your flute. Place the embouchure hole on your lower lip, purse your lips, take a deep breath, and blow. It will not happen straight away so be patient. Try moving your embouchure hole around. Practice in front of a mirror and look at the shape of your lips. Your embouchure should be about the size of a drinking straw and shaped like a circle or teardrop.

Here’s a nice way to work on producing sound

Press your lips together. Kiss your flute–place the embouchure hole completely against your pressed lips, so that you can feel the lower edge of the embouchure hole on your middle part of the lower lip, Now, Roll the flute away from your lips approximately 90 degrees, so that the embouchure hole is now level with the ceiling.

Holding The Bansuri Flute

If you are comfortable holding the flute right handed then first three holes should be closed from the fingers of the left hand and the last three holes should be closed from the fingers of the right hand.

Similarly if you are comfortable holding the flute left handed then first three holes should be closed from the fingers of the right hand and the last three holes should be closed from the fingers of the left hand.

Start Playing The Bansuri

1. Keep the embouchure hole and the fingers on their respective positions.
2. Play the flute with all holes open but all fingers in their respective positions.
3. Once you get the sound, keep the blowing constant and then close the holes one by one from the top.

All holes should be closed properly, even a slight air leak from the holes will affect the sound quality or sometimes no sound might come.